In addition, it is the policy of the Company that no person subject to this policy who, in the course of his or her relationship with the Company, learns of any confidential information that is material to another publicly traded company with which the Company does business, including a customer or supplier of the Company, may trade in that other company’s securities until the information becomes public or is no longer material to that other company.
There are no exceptions to this policy, except as specifically noted above or below.
Transactions Subject to this Policy
This policy applies to all transactions in securities issued by the Company, as well as derivative securities that are not issued by the Company, such as exchange-traded put or call options or swaps relating to the Company’s securities. Accordingly, for purposes of this policy, the terms “trade,” “trading” and “transactions” include not only purchases and sales of the Company’s common stock in the public market but also any other purchases, sales, transfers, gifts or other acquisitions and dispositions of common or preferred equity, options, warrants and other securities (including debt securities) and other arrangements or transactions that affect economic exposure to changes in the prices of these securities.
Persons Subject to this Policy
This policy applies to you and all other employees, directors and designated consultants of the Company and its subsidiaries. This policy also applies to members of your family who reside with you, any other persons with whom you share a household, any family members who do not live in your household but whose transactions in the Company’s securities are directed by you or are subject to your influence or control and any other individuals or entities whose transactions in securities you influence, direct or control (including, e.g., a venture or other investment fund, if you influence, direct or control transactions by the fund). However, this policy does not apply to any entity that invests in securities in the ordinary course of its business (e.g., a venture or other investment fund) if (and only if) such entity has established its own insider trading controls and procedures in compliance with applicable securities laws with respect to trading in the Company’s securities subject to approval by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company. The foregoing persons who are deemed subject to this policy are referred to in this policy as “Related Persons.” You are responsible for making sure that your Related Persons comply with this policy.
Quarterly Trading Blackouts
Because the directors, officers, and designated employees and consultants of the Company who have been notified of their designation, who we refer to as our “Covered Persons”, are most likely to have regular access to material nonpublic information about the Company, we require them to do more than refrain from insider trading. To minimize even the appearance of insider trading among our Covered Persons, we have established “quarterly trading blackout periods” during which our Covered Persons and their Related Persons—regardless of whether they are aware of material nonpublic information or not—may not conduct any trades in the Company securities. That means that, except as described in this policy, Covered Persons and their Related Persons will be able to trade in the Company securities only during limited open trading window periods that generally will begin after two full trading days have elapsed since the public dissemination of the Company’s annual or quarterly financial results and end at the beginning of the next quarterly trading blackout period. Of course, even during an open trading window period, you may not (unless an exception applies) conduct any trades in the Company securities if you are otherwise in possession of material nonpublic information.
For purposes of this policy, each “quarterly trading blackout period” will generally begin at the end of the day that is two weeks before the end of each fiscal quarter and end after two full trading days following the public disclosure of the financial results for that fiscal period. Please note that the quarterly trading blackout period may commence early or may be extended if, in the judgment of the Chief Financial Officer or General Counsel of the Company or an individual designated by the Chief Financial Officer or General Counsel (the “Compliance Coordinator”, as identified in the Company’s Section 16 Compliance Program), there exists undisclosed information that would make trades by Covered Persons inappropriate. It is important to note that the fact that the quarterly trading blackout period has commenced early or has been extended should be considered material nonpublic information that should not be communicated to any other person.
From time to time, the Company may identify other persons who should be subject to quarterly trading blackout periods. The Chief Financial Officer or General Counsel may update and revise the list of persons who are designated as Covered Persons. Even when a quarterly trading blackout period is not in effect, an individual may be subject to other trading restrictions under this Policy.